View source for French Drain Guide: Design, Fabric, and Gravel

<html><p> <img  src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRlHVtGpwjm8dgkhoOKwJf7WI2E8ENMnfw3Lg&s" style="max-width:500px;height:auto;" ></img></p><p> Water never forgets its path. If your yard collects puddles, your basement smells musty after storms, or the lawn feels spongy days after rain, you are looking at a drainage problem, not a turf problem. A well designed French drain fixes the path. It moves water quietly and reliably, keeping foundations dry, lawns firm, and planting beds healthy. I have installed, repaired, and redesigned dozens across clay heavy suburbs and sandy coastal lots. The differences that separate a drain that works for decades from one that fails in two seasons are not dramatic tricks. They are choices about slope, fabric, gravel size, and where to send the water. This guide covers those details and the judgment calls that come with real yards and real weather.</p> <h2> What a French Drain Actually Does</h2> <p> At its core, a French drain intercepts subsurface water and conveys it away through a perforated pipe bedded in clean, angular gravel, wrapped in a filter layer that lets water in and keeps soil out. It is not a dry well, not a simple surface swale, and not a miracle cure for a high water table under a lakefront lot. It is a pressure relief line. When soil gets saturated, water finds the voids in the gravel trench, drops into the pipe, and flows toward a lower outlet.</p> <p> That simple description hides common failure modes. If the trench lacks continuous fall, water stops flowing and fines settle. If the gravel contains too many fines or the fabric clogs, flow slows and the trench becomes a soggy band rather than a drain. If the outlet is too high or prone to backflow, the system becomes a holding tank. Good design prevents those traps.</p> <h2> When to Use a French Drain, and When Not To</h2> <p> French drains excel where water moves unseen through soil. Typical triggers include a lawn that stays wet mid slope while the low point is dry, downspouts that infiltrate near foundations, a hillside seep across a yard edge, or a retaining wall weeping after storms. They also help under walkway installation projects, where a compacted base traps lateral flow and leads to frost heave. I often run a French drain parallel to a paver walkway or stone walkway just uphill of the base, so water never gets the chance to pump fines out of the bedding layer.</p> <p> They are the wrong tool for roofs with massive runoff that already sheets along the surface. That calls for direct downspout piping to a catch basin or dry well, possibly paired with a surface swale. They struggle in pure clay if you try to infiltrate rather than export water. In tight clays, plan for conveyance to a reliable discharge: a daylit slope, a municipal storm connection where allowed, or a properly sized dry well with overflow.</p> <h2> The Three Parts That Matter Most: Slope, Filter, Outlet</h2> <p> A French drain is only as good as its slowest section. Every trench I design starts with three non negotiables: a continuous fall from start to finish, a filter system matched to the soil, and an outlet that works in all seasons.</p> <p> Slope must be consistent. The classic target is 1 percent fall, which is roughly 1 foot of drop per 100 feet of run. I am comfortable with 0.5 percent when space is tight and the pipe stays straight, but I never accept flat sections or reverse pitch. A tight string line and a laser level save you from rework and muddy surprises. In freeze zones, more fall helps purge water before a cold snap.</p> <p> The filter is fabric plus gravel. In silty loam, a non woven geotextile with good puncture resistance and flow is enough. In fine sands, you can skip fabric if you use a graded filter envelope, but most residential installs benefit from a fabric wrap because it keeps organics out as roots explore. I will get into fabric selection below. The gravel must be clean, angular, and sized to create voids larger than the surrounding soil particles. Pea gravel looks tidy but tends to pack and roll; it is rarely my first choice for drains, though it can serve as a thin topping for aesthetics.</p> <p> The outlet must discharge without backflow. A pop up emitter at a low corner works well in moderate storms when you can create at least 8 to 12 inches of head from pipe invert to surface. On sloped sites, a daylit outlet with a rodent screen is ideal. Where codes allow, tying into a storm lateral can be effective, but never tie into a sanitary line. Dry wells can work if the surrounding soil percolates at a reasonable rate, and if the well has an overflow that reaches daylight or a controlled spill point.</p> <h2> Planning the Drain Path</h2> <p> I start with a hose and gravity. On a quiet day, I flood the suspect area lightly and watch where the water lingers. I map the high side of the wet zone and look for the point where a trench could intercept lateral flow. The French drain goes uphill of the problem, not on top of it. If water is building against a foundation, I run the drain parallel to the wall at least 3 to 5 feet out, deep enough to catch the footing drains or the seep line. If the issue is a spring line across a hillside, the trench should cut across the slope, pitched to one end.</p> <p> Integration matters when you plan walkway or driveway installation. A paver driveway with a dense base will shed lateral water. Placing a French drain alongside the uphill edge protects the base course from saturation, which preserves compaction and reduces freeze thaw heave. With permeable pavers, the base is an open graded stone reservoir, so you may not need a separate French drain, but you still need an underdrain or overflow to move water out of the reservoir during long storms.</p><p> <iframe  src="https://maps.google.com/maps?width=100%&height=600&hl=en&coord=42.05537,-87.93563&q=Wave%20Outdoors%20Landscape%20%2B%20Design&ie=UTF8&t=&z=14&iwloc=B&output=embed" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></p> <h2> Depth and Width</h2> <p> Most residential French drains sit between 12 and 24 inches deep, but depth should match the source. To intercept footing flow, go down to the top of the footing or as deep as practical without undermining. Along lawn edges that suffer from perched water after lawn aeration and overseeding, 16 to 18 inches is typical. Widths vary from 8 to 18 inches. Wider trenches move more water and are less prone to clogging because they have a larger gravel envelope. In heavy clay, I favor wider and slightly deeper trenches to create a more generous void space.</p> <p> Avoid the temptation to place the pipe at the very bottom of a narrow trench. The better approach is a gravel bed, then pipe, then more gravel above the pipe, with fabric wrapped around the gravel mass. This creates a vertical capture zone. Water can enter from above and the sides, not just from a thin seam at the bottom.</p> <h2> Pipe: Perforated, Slotted, or Corrugated</h2> <p> The workhorse in residential drains is 4 inch perforated pipe. I prefer rigid PVC SDR 35 with clean drilled holes, positioned hole down at the invert. The pipe acts as a conduit, not a sieve. Placing holes down allows the pipe to fill from the gravel bed and maintain a consistent waterline, which keeps silt from settling inside. Corrugated pipe has its place in curvy runs and tight sites, but it is harder to clean and can flatten under load, especially below a driveway or concrete walkway. If you must use corrugated, choose a heavy duty version and protect it with a generous gravel envelope.</p> <p> Slot wrapped pipes promise built in filtration, but their wraps clog in silty soils. I have dug up “prefabricated” drains that failed in two seasons because the thin sleeve turned into felt. Use a real geotextile and control the gravel gradation instead.</p> <h2> Fabric: Plastic vs Geotextile, and When to Use It</h2> <p> People often ask whether plastic or fabric is better for landscaping and drainage. Plastic sheeting belongs in vapor barriers and pond liners, not in French drains. It blocks water and creates perched water tables. For drains, use geotextile fabric, and choose non woven rather than woven in most residential soils.</p> <p> Non woven geotextiles look and feel like thick felt. They allow high water flow, resist puncture from angular stone, and filter fine particles effectively. Woven fabrics look like landscape tarp; they are stronger in tension but have lower flow rates and are more prone to clogging in fines. I use non woven wraps around the gravel in silty clays and loams. In coarse sand and gravelly soils, you can omit fabric if you use a proper graded filter stone, but fabric still helps exclude organics from mulch, lawn thatch, and roots.</p> <p> There is a separate question about weed fabric in planting beds. For planting design, I avoid plastic and most woven weed barriers because they complicate soil amendment and plant health. Mulch and ground covers do better over time. For drains, stick with non woven geotextile specifically rated for drainage.</p> <h2> Gravel: Size and Type</h2> <p> The wrong rock ruins a good trench. Use clean, angular aggregate with no fines. I look for washed stone in the 3/4 inch range, sometimes called 57 stone. Its edges lock together yet leave ample voids. In very fine soils, a slightly smaller, well graded stone creates a better transition layer that resists piping. Pea gravel gets popular because it is smooth underfoot and easy to shovel, but it rounds and packs tight over time. Save the pea gravel for a garden path or a top dressing above fabric if you want a neat surface.</p> <p> Depth of gravel matters. Aim for at least 4 inches below the pipe, then surround the pipe by 3 to 4 inches on all sides, and finish with 2 to 4 inches above. In a 16 inch deep trench, the top of gravel could sit 2 to 3 inches below grade if you plan to replace sod. In a landscape bed, I often bring the gravel to just below mulch level.</p> <h2> Step by Step: Building a Reliable French Drain</h2> <ul>  <li> Lay out the path with paint and flags, mark utilities, and set grade with a laser or line level. Plan at least 0.5 to 1 percent fall toward the outlet.</li> <li> Excavate the trench to depth and width, trim the bottom to slope, and remove roots and loose pockets. Avoid smearing clay; keep the base rough enough to key the fabric and gravel.</li> <li> Line the trench with non woven fabric, leaving enough width to wrap over the top later with at least a 12 inch overlap.</li> <li> Place 4 to 6 inches of clean 3/4 inch stone, set the perforated pipe hole down, check slope again, then cover the pipe with stone to the planned height.</li> <li> Wrap the fabric over the top of the stone envelope, backfill the remaining space with topsoil or mulch, and set the outlet with a pop up emitter or daylit terminus protected by a screen.</li> </ul> <p> That is the backbone. There are tweaks. Under a paver walkway or driveway pavers, run the drain just outside the base and tie in a catch basin to intercept surface flow at downspouts. Along a flagstone walkway in clay, add a secondary surface swale to handle intense storms that exceed subsurface capacity. Near planting beds, leave room for shrub planting and avoid cutting roots of established trees.</p> <h2> Where to Send the Water</h2> <p> Drains do not erase water, they redirect it. A good outlet solves more headaches than any other detail. The best outlet is gravity daylight on your own property, at a location where the discharge will not erode soil or annoy neighbors. I set the outlet in turf with a flat concrete or plastic splash and a turf reinforcing mat if the grade is steep. In neighborhoods with storm curbs, codes vary. Some allow a controlled curb cut with a pipe discharge sleeve. Some require connecting to a storm lateral after inspection. Always check local rules.</p> <p> Dry wells are useful in flat lots or where the yard backs onto a high water table. Size them based on a realistic storm volume, not a brochure. As a rule of thumb, a 50 to 100 cubic foot gravel well handles downspouts from a small roof in moderate storms if the soil percolates at 1 to 2 inches per hour. In clays that barely drain, a dry well becomes a pond. When I must use a dry well in slow soils, I create an overflow to a shallow swale or a reinforced low point planted with ornamental grasses that can tolerate wet feet.</p> <h2> Tying Drains into Broader Landscape Work</h2> <p> Drainage interacts with everything outdoors. If you plan lawn renovation, turf installation, or sod installation, schedule drainage installation first. New sod hates wet feet. Trenching through fresh turf leaves scars and invites weeds. After installing a French drain, I typically do light lawn grading, then lawn seeding or sodding services. A fresh lawn treatment plan for weed control and lawn fertilization can start once the sod is rooted.</p> <p> Hardscapes benefit, too. A paver walkway on a compacted base will last longer if subsurface water never saturates it. With concrete walkway slabs, underdrains reduce frost heave. Driveway design can incorporate surface drainage with a channel drain tied to the French drain system, moving water into a dry well or to daylight. Permeable pavers offer the best long term water management because the base acts as a reservoir, but they still need an underdrain in slow soils.</p> <p> Outdoor lighting and low voltage lighting should route in conduit above the drain fabric to avoid punctures and to keep maintenance easy. Irrigation installation needs careful zoning; avoid placing drip lines directly over wrapped gravel, where they would waste water. Smart irrigation controllers can reduce watering ahead of a storm, which lessens the load on your drainage system.</p><p> <iframe  src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m28!1m12!1m3!1d94730.49731961139!2d-87.94599555286268!3d42.10044472615163!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!4m13!3e6!4m5!1s0x880fc143349a54f9%3A0x9677f3eff3862a2b!2sChicago%20Botanic%20Garden%2C%20Lake%20Cook%20Road%2C%20Glencoe%2C%20IL!3m2!1d42.1464419!2d-87.7897516!4m5!1s0x880fd37ff46248eb%3A0x8d9ded47581f1b69!2sWave%20Outdoors%20Landscape%20%2B%20Design%2C%20600%20S%20Emerson%20St%2C%20Mt%20Prospect%2C%20IL%2060056!3m2!1d42.0553734!2d-87.93563309999999!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1764108899232!5m2!1sen!2sus" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></p> <h2> Common Mistakes I Still See</h2> <p> The most frequent failure is insufficient slope. Even a small back pitch creates a sediment trap. The next is cheap gravel. If your stone arrives dusty, take a handful and rinse it. If the water turns milky, send the load back or expect clogs. Another error is placing the pipe at the bottom without a gravel bed. That turns the pipe into a silt trench.</p> <p> I often find drains ended at a fence line with no emitter, relying on water to seep up through compacted soil. That might work in sand for a season; it fails in almost every other case. Lastly, tying French drains to downspouts without separation creates a two way street. Stormwater can surge back through the perforations and flood soil. If you must share a line, install a check tee or keep the downspout on solid pipe until past the perforated sections.</p> <h2> Fabric Details Worth the Money</h2> <p> Two numbers matter when buying fabric for drains: apparent opening size (AOS) and permittivity. For typical residential soils, look for a non woven with an AOS around 70 to 100 sieve (roughly 0.15 to 0.21 mm) and a permittivity near 1 to 2 sec^-1. That balance lets water through quickly while filtering fines. Weight around 4 to 8 oz per square yard is plenty. Heavier felt is tougher but harder to wrap; lighter felt tears during backfill.</p> <p> Wrap technique matters. Overlap seams by at least 12 inches, more if the trench is deep. Avoid tacking with staples that can rust and stain stone if you plan to leave a gravel strip visible. Where roots cross, leave a little slack in the fabric so it does not tear as soil shifts.</p> <h2> Sizing for Storms</h2> <p> Residential French drains rarely need calculus, but a simple reality check helps. Estimate the contributing area to your drain. A 30 by 20 foot wet lawn patch is 600 square feet. In a one inch storm, that patch receives about 374 gallons of water. Your drain does not have to hold it, only to convey it. A 4 inch pipe flowing half full at a gentle slope moves roughly 40 to 60 gallons per minute, depending on smoothness. If your outlet is clear and the pipe is smooth PVC, the drain can clear the storm volume in minutes. That is why fall and outlet matter more than pipe diameter in most yards.</p> <h2> French Drains and Planting Beds</h2> <p> Plant roots search for moisture. If you run a French drain through a shrub bed, expect roots to explore the gravel envelope over time. This is not always bad; the gravel zone can serve as a dry creek aesthetic with ground cover installation and well chosen perennials that handle occasional dryness. To protect the pipe, make sure the fabric wrap is complete and the gravel is clean. Choose shrubs with non aggressive roots near the line or keep a small buffer.</p> <p> In native plant landscaping, I often combine shallow French drains with surface swales that read as garden paths. A low stone edging creates a subtle channel, and mulch breaks down into the soil without clogging the wrapped drain. Ornamental grasses and perennial gardens thrive in the slightly drier band just downslope of the drain.</p> <h2> Maintenance: How Often and What to Expect</h2> <p> A properly built French drain asks very little. Inspect outlets twice a year, especially after leaf fall and spring thaw. Clear debris from pop up emitters and daylit ends. If a section slows, a garden hose can test flow; a small drain camera can confirm blockages. In corrugated pipe, clogs are hard to jet out; in smooth PVC, a plumber’s jetter usually clears sediment if the system has cleanouts. I add discreet cleanout risers at logical bends or high points, capped flush with the lawn, so maintenance does not require excavation.</p> <p> Landscape maintenance should respect the system. During lawn mowing and lawn edging, avoid scalping over the trench line, which can erode shallow topsoil above the wrap. If you aerate annually, the tines will not harm a wrapped gravel zone, but avoid punching right over a shallow emitter line.</p> <h2> Costs, DIY vs Pro, and Where Pros Matter</h2> <p> Homeowners can install small runs with care and patience. Renting a trencher, hauling stone, and managing fabric is straightforward if you plan well. The cost for materials on a 50 foot drain with PVC, fabric, and gravel might land between a few hundred and a thousand dollars, depending on local prices. The labor is real, and wet clay raises the difficulty.</p> <p> Are landscaping companies worth the cost for drains? When the drain protects a foundation, interfaces with irrigation system piping, or crosses a driveway, hiring a professional landscaper or drainage contractor is usually a good idea. A professional has the tools to cut clean trenches, compact backfill, laser set slope, and manage permits for storm tie ins. They also understand how to blend the drain into a broader landscape plan, from walkway installation to plant selection and water management.</p> <p> What to ask a landscape contractor if you hire one: What fabric and gravel spec will you use, and why? How will you verify slope during backfill? Where will the outlet go, and how will you protect it? Do you provide cleanouts? How do you separate downspout lines from perforated runs? A good answer uses real numbers, not buzzwords.</p> <h2> Integrating With Seasonal Work</h2> <p> Timing affects success. On heavy soils, it is better to do landscaping in fall or early spring when the ground is moist but not saturated. Trenches hold shape, and restoration goes faster. Summer installs work if you manage dust and hydrate sod carefully afterward. If you plan a fall cleanup, schedule drain work before the cleanup so you are not raking twice. After drain installation, lawn seeding and overseeding do well because the soil dries more evenly between storms.</p> <h2> Value Beyond Dry Feet</h2> <p> Good drainage raises the ceiling on everything else outdoors. A lawn treatment plan finally works when fertilizer is not leaching out of saturated soil. A concrete driveway stops popping at the joints when water no longer freezes underneath. A paver driveway stays flat. Garden bed installation thrives when roots can breathe after rain. Outdoor renovation projects run smoother when you are not waiting a week for the site to dry after every storm.</p> <p> If you are wondering what landscaping adds the most value to a home, reliable drainage sits near the top because it protects the structure and the hardscape you paid for. It also supports low maintenance landscaping by reducing the disease pressure that comes with soggy soil.</p> <h2> Edge Cases and Real World Adjustments</h2> <p> A high water table near a lake or in a coastal plain limits what a French drain can do. If groundwater rises to 18 inches below grade during storms, a shallow trench cannot drop it further. In those cases, combine shallow drains with raised garden beds, turf choices that tolerate wet periods, and strategic grading that directs surface water toward a vegetated swale. On steep slopes, stabilize the trench line with erosion control blankets and compacted backfill on the upslope side. Where tree roots dominate, avoid trenching through critical root zones. Route around or switch to a surface swale paired with stepping stones or a garden path that looks intentional.</p> <p> In cold climates, depth below frost is not required for French drains, but outlets must avoid ice dams. I prefer a larger diameter daylit outlet, set where sun hits it, with a slight flare and a sturdy grate. In shaded north lots, a pop up emitter can freeze shut; a daylit pipe end fares better.</p> <h2> A Note on Aesthetics</h2> <p> You do not need to hide every drain. A narrow gravel ribbon along the uphill edge of a flagstone walkway can double as a linear drain and a visual border. A dry creek bed winding between shrub planting groups can mask a French drain’s path. Where you bring the drain to daylight, set native stones around the opening and plant a ring of tough perennials. Function first, then beauty, but you can have both.</p> <h2> Final Checks Before You Backfill</h2> <p> Before you cover the pipe, run water from a hose at the uphill end. Watch the outlet. The flow should appear quickly and steadily. If it does not, stop and fix grade while access is easy. Confirm fabric overlaps. Confirm the pipe orientation. Photograph the trench with a tape in the frame to record depth and location for future reference. Your future self, or the next homeowner, will thank you when they plan irrigation repair or new landscape lighting and want to avoid cutting the line.</p> <h2> How a French Drain Fits Into a Bigger Plan</h2> <p> Landscape planning moves in stages: assess water, set grades, manage circulation with pathways and driveways, then plant. In that order, drainage solutions sit right behind grading. They are the skeleton that lets everything else stand up. When clients ask whether it is worth spending money on landscaping, I tell them the quiet parts matter most. A French drain does not photograph as well as a flower bed design, but it is the reason the bed looks good in August after a wet July.</p> <p> Whether you hire out or roll up your sleeves, make the essential choices with care: continuous slope, clean stone, the right fabric, and a trustworthy outlet. Get those right, and the system will outlast the plants above it, doing its job invisibly while you enjoy the yard you intended to have.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design is a full-service landscape design, construction, and maintenance company in Mount Prospect, Illinois, United States. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design is located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and serves homeowners and businesses across the greater Chicagoland area. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design has an address at 600 S Emerson St, Mt. Prospect, IL 60056. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design has phone number (312) 772-2300 for landscape design, outdoor construction, and maintenance inquiries. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design has website <a href="https://waveoutdoors.com">https://waveoutdoors.com
</a> for service details, project galleries, and online contact. <br>
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Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design has Facebook page at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/waveoutdoors/">https://www.facebook.com/waveoutdoors/
</a> where new landscape projects and company updates are shared. <br>
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Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design serves residential, commercial, and municipal landscape clients in communities such as Arlington Heights, Lake Forest, Park Ridge, Northbrook, Rolling Meadows, and Barrington. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design provides detailed 2D and 3D landscape design services so clients can visualize patios, plantings, and outdoor structures before construction begins. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design offers outdoor living construction including paver patios, composite and wood decks, pergolas, pavilions, and custom seating areas. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design specializes in hardscaping projects such as walkways, retaining walls, pool decks, and masonry features engineered for Chicago-area freeze–thaw cycles. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design provides grading, drainage, and irrigation solutions that manage stormwater, protect foundations, and address heavy clay soils common in the northwest suburbs. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design offers landscape lighting design and installation that improves nighttime safety, highlights architecture, and extends the use of outdoor spaces after dark. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design supports clients with gardening and planting design, sod installation, lawn care, and ongoing landscape maintenance programs. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design emphasizes forward-thinking landscape design that uses native and adapted plants to create low-maintenance, climate-ready outdoor environments. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design values clear communication, transparent proposals, and white-glove project management from concept through final walkthrough. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design operates with crews led by licensed professionals, supported by educated horticulturists, and backs projects with insured, industry-leading warranties. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design focuses on transforming underused yards into cohesive outdoor rooms that expand a home’s functional living and entertaining space. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design holds Angi Super Service Award and Angi Honor Roll recognition for ten consecutive years, reflecting consistently high customer satisfaction. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design was recognized with 12 years of Houzz and Angi Excellence Awards between 2013 and 2024 for exceptional landscape design and construction results. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design holds an A- rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) based on its operating history as a Mount Prospect landscape contractor. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design has been recognized with Best of Houzz awards for its landscape design and installation work serving the Chicago metropolitan area. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design is convenient to O’Hare International Airport, serving property owners along the I-90 and I-294 corridors in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. <br>
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design serves clients near landmarks such as Northwest Community Healthcare, Prairie Lakes Park, and the Busse Forest Elk Pasture, helping nearby neighborhoods upgrade their outdoor spaces. <br>

<strong>People also ask about landscape design and outdoor living contractors in Mount Prospect:</strong><br>
Q: What services does Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design provide?<br>
A: Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design provides 2D and 3D landscape design, hardscaping, outdoor living construction, gardening and maintenance, grading and drainage, irrigation, landscape lighting, deck and pergola builds, and pool and outdoor kitchen projects. <br>
Q: Does Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design handle both design and installation?<br>
A: Yes, Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design is a design–build firm that creates the plans and then manages full installation, coordinating construction crews and specialists so clients work with a single team from start to finish. <br>
Q: How much does professional landscape design typically cost with Wave Outdoors in the Chicago suburbs?<br>
A: Landscape planning with 2D and 3D visualization in nearby suburbs like Arlington Heights typically ranges from about $750 to $5,000 depending on property size and complexity, with full installations starting around a few thousand dollars and increasing with scope and materials. <br>
Q: Does Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design offer 3D landscape design so I can see the project beforehand?<br>
A: Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design offers advanced 2D and 3D design services that let you review layouts, materials, and lighting concepts before any construction begins, reducing surprises and change orders. <br>
Q: Can Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design build decks and pergolas as part of a project?<br>
A: Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design designs and builds custom decks, pergolas, pavilions, and other outdoor carpentry elements, integrating them with patios, plantings, and lighting for a cohesive outdoor living space. <br>
Q: Does Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design install swimming pools or only landscaping?<br>
A: Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design serves as a pool builder for the Chicago area, offering design and construction for concrete and fiberglass pools along with integrated surrounding hardscapes and landscaping. <br>
Q: What areas does Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design serve around Mount Prospect?<br>
A: Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design primarily serves Mount Prospect and nearby suburbs including Arlington Heights, Lake Forest, Park Ridge, Downers Grove, Western Springs, Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Inverness, Northbrook, Rolling Meadows, and Barrington. <br>
Q: Is Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design licensed and insured?<br>
A: Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design states that each crew is led by licensed professionals, that plant and landscape work is overseen by educated horticulturists, and that all work is insured with industry-leading warranties. <br>
Q: Does Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design offer warranties on its work?<br>
A: Yes, Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design describes its projects as covered by “care free, industry leading warranties,” giving clients added peace of mind on construction quality and materials. <br>
Q: Does Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design provide snow and ice removal services?<br>
A: Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design offers winter services including snow removal, driveway and sidewalk clearing, deicing, and emergency snow removal for select Chicago-area suburbs. <br>
Q: How can I get a quote from Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design?<br>
A: You can request a quote by calling (312) 772-2300 or by using the contact form on the Wave Outdoors website, where you can share your project details and preferred service area. <br></p><p><strong>Business Name:</strong> Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design<br>
<strong>Address:</strong> 600 S Emerson St, Mt. Prospect, IL 60056, USA<br>
<strong>Phone:</strong> (312) 772-2300<br>

<div itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/HomeAndConstructionBusiness"> <h2 itemprop="name">Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design</h2> <meta itemprop="legalName" content="Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design"> <meta itemprop="alternateName" content="Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design"> <p itemprop="description"> Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design is a landscaping, design, construction, and maintenance company based in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, serving Chicago-area suburbs. The team specializes in high-end outdoor living spaces, including custom hardscapes, decks, pools, grading, and lighting that transform residential and commercial properties. </p> <p> <strong>Address:</strong><br> <span itemprop="streetAddress">600 S Emerson St</span><br> <span itemprop="addressLocality">Mt. Prospect</span>, <span itemprop="addressRegion">IL</span> <span itemprop="postalCode">60056</span><br> <span itemprop="addressCountry">USA</span> </p> <p> <strong>Phone:</strong> <span itemprop="telephone">(312) 772-2300</span> </p> <p> <strong>Website:</strong> <a itemprop="url" href="https://waveoutdoors.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> https://waveoutdoors.com/ </a> </p> <p> <a itemprop="hasMap" href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/jAEDL9GLK3ZbrkhC6" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> View on Google Maps </a> </p> <p><strong>Business Hours:</strong><br> Monday – Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM<br> Saturday: Closed<br> Sunday: Closed </p> <p><strong>Follow Us:</strong><br> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/waveoutdoors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a><br> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/waveoutdoors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a><br> <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/wave-outdoors-landscape-design-mt-prospect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yelp</a><br> <a href="https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/wave-outdoors-landscape-design-pfvwus-pf~1350814691" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Houzz</a><br> </p> </div>
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